Bendle Store
Samples from account records 1858 - 1859
Operating a store at Bidwell provided an opportunity to make a large profit but also required a willingness to take significant risks. It required the investment of a large amount of capital or obtaining personal credit to acquire supplies from wholesalers located in the San Francisco and Marysville. The sale of goods at Bidwell was often done on credit with the further delay of the payment, and the risk of never receiving cash for the merchandise! Banks, as a seperate business, did not exist during the early years of the gold rush. Therefore, merchants like John Bendle, often provided many of the money lending services that were associated with banking activities.
The following tables provide examples of individuals involved, services provided, merchandise available and the cost of the items.
A special thanks to the Butte County Historical Society for making copies of the original store journal available to this researcher.
Transporting the Supplies to Bidwell
During the early years of the gold rush from 1848 to 1852 supplies were limited and sold for outrageous prices. For example, in 1848, a common pick would sell for $20 while an iron crow bar might cost $100. By the summer of 1853 the eastern merchants had responded to the demands and had shipped large quantities of materials to San Francisco. The over supply caused the prices of merchandise in San Francisco to decline rapidly bankrupting suppliers that had miscalculated the demand. Supplies for the mountain mining areas were transported by boat up the Sacramento River to Marysville. The seasonal variation in the river flow, shallow depth, and floating debris prevented the development of river traffic up the Feather River to Oroville. Supplies destined for Bidwell were sent to Marysville then reloaded onto pack mules, or freight wagons, for delivery to Bidwell’s Bar. In 1854 basic food items were expensive in the Bidwell area with flour selling for $1.00 a pound, coffee at $4.00 a pound and a dozen eggs cost $12/dozen. By 1858 there was an abundance of needed materials, although prices varied seasonally. Prices remained high due to transportation costs incurred over poor roads especially during winter conditions.
Sample of store journal - September 22, 1858
Banks as a seperate business did not exist at the time Bidwell was the County Seat. The merchants provided the banking services as a part of there stroe business. Some examples of this practice are found in the Bendle Store ledgers.
Examples of purchases by George Fitzgerald, a local hotel owner/operator and the Long Ripple Mining Company are typical of items purchased at the Bendle Store.
The following is a list of items available at the Bendle store. Other items listed have not been included because the description or sales prices were not readable.
